A-Level guide · checked October 2026
A-Level Chemistry, explained simply
Three exams across physical, inorganic and organic chemistry, plus a practical endorsement. This page shows what each paper covers, the marks your child really needs for an A*, A or B, and how to master the calculations. Pick your exam board and the page changes to match.
- 3 exams
- 6 hours or more in total
- Practical endorsement
- Grades A* to E
Exam board
Not sure which board? Ask your child's school, or check the front of a mockA practice exam, usually set by school a few months before the real thing. paper.
The exams at a glance
AQA A-Level Chemistry (7405). 3 papers, 6 hours of exams and 300 marks in total.
Specification: AQA A-Level Chemistry (7405)
What's in the exams
The specifications don't give a percentage for each topic, so this shows each paper's share of the grade and what it covers.
- Paper 1: physical and inorganic chemistry35%
- Paper 2: physical and organic chemistry35%
- Paper 3: any content, practical skills and multiple choice30%
How the grading works
How the grading works
Everyone sits the same three papers. The marks are added up and the total decides the grade, from A* down to E. Alongside the exams, students complete at least 12 practical activities in school for the practical endorsement. It is reported separately as Pass or Not classified and does not change the A* to E grade, but many universities ask for a Pass.
The marks you really need for each grade
You do not need 90% for a top grade. Grade boundaries are set after the exams are marked, so a grade stays the same standard even when the papers are harder. These are the real AQA boundaries from June 2026:
Source: AQA, A-level grade boundaries June 2026. Boundaries change slightly every year.
Your target score in practice papers
Sit a full set of past papers under timed conditions every few weeks. Work out the percentage for each set, ignore your single worst result (everyone has an off day) and average the rest. Aim for:
90%
to secure a grade A*
79%
to secure a grade A
66%
to secure a grade B
We add 5 percentage points to last year's boundary, because boundaries move a little each year and exam nerves cost marks.
Past paper mock builder
Pick an exam series and we'll set out the full AQA mock: which papers to sit, how long to allow and where to download them. Then type in your marks to see the grade they would have earned.
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Paper 1, June 2026 · Physical and inorganic chemistry · 2 hours
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Paper 2, June 2026 · Physical and organic chemistry · 2 hours
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Paper 3, June 2026 · Any content, practicals, 30 multiple choice · 2 hours
Download the papers and mark schemes: AQA official past papers or Save My Exams past papers. Exam boards keep the most recent series for schools only for a while, so if the newest one isn't there, take the one before.
Enter your marks for each paper to see the grade they would have earned.
What Chemistry is really about
Where the word comes from
"Chemistry" comes from "alchemy", through medieval Latin alchimia and the Arabic al-kīmiyā. The Arabic word probably comes from the Greek khēmeia, the art of transforming metals.
Where it comes from
Robert Boyle, working in Oxford and London in the 1660s, helped turn alchemy into an experimental science. In Manchester around 1803 John Dalton proposed that all matter is made of atoms, and in 1869 the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev arranged the elements into the first periodic table, leaving gaps for elements not yet discovered.
Why it's still taught
Chemistry explains what everything is made of and how substances change, from medicines to batteries to food. It is required for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary science and chemical engineering, and is valued for biology, natural sciences and many other degrees.
How to do well in A-Level Chemistry
Make moles and calculations automatic
A large share of marks need calculations: moles, concentrations, yields and equilibrium. Do a few every day until they are routine.
Learn the reaction mechanisms
Organic mechanisms, with their curly arrows, are worth many marks and follow patterns. Practise drawing each one from memory.
Know the inorganic tests and colours
Flame tests, precipitates and transition metal colours are pure recall. Flashcards work well here.
Read the data sheet in advance
A data sheet and periodic table are given. Knowing what is on them, and what is not, saves time in the exam.
Practise the required practicals
Questions ask about methods, errors and improvements. Write a short summary of each practical you have done.
Answer in chemist's language
Marks need precise terms: "electrostatic attraction", "lone pair", "intermolecular forces". Use mark schemes to learn the wording.
The three best places to revise
Our teachers' picks. We have no connection with these sites.
Chemguide
Free, detailed explanations of almost every A-Level chemistry topic, written by an experienced teacher.
Physics & Maths Tutor
Free past papers, mark schemes and topic questions for each board.
Allery Chemistry on YouTube
Free video lessons and worked exam questions across the A-Level course.
Questions parents ask
Not sure where your child stands?
Our free 45-minute assessment often uses a real past paperA real exam from a previous year, used for practice., so you'll know their likely grade and exactly what to work on. Lessons online across the UK, or at our seven London hubs.